Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

Presented by Teresa SchuttMichelle SaylorMarch 25, 2010

Reflect on your own beliefs and philosophies about education and learning as a leader.

Develop an understanding of a professional learning community.

Make a commitment to continue your journey of leading a professional learning community and learning with them.

Outcomes for Today

All answers are acceptable in the Where I Stand exercise.

The first thing that comes to your mind is probably the most accurate indication of how you feel.

You are free at any time during the exercise to change where you stand, your vision, and your opinion.

Assume that where you stand is independent of your school. It is feasible and doable; you have no limitations.

Trust the process.

Where I Stand: Rules of the Road

Cultural Shift Self Pre-Assessment Activity:Traditional Schools versus Professional Learning Communities

Professional members of a profession

Learning cognitive process of acquiring knowledge or a skill

Community members of common interest; common ownership

What is a Professional Learning Community?

“…A Professional Learning Community is a complex organization where all participants are actively engaged in learning through various venues and experiences.(Fullan, 1993; Pouravoud, 1997; Riel & Fulton, 2001; DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2006)

What is a Professional Learning Community?

“…A Professional Learning Community is a collaboration of teachers, administrators, parents, and students, who work together to seek out best practices, test them in the classroom, continuously improve processes, and focus on results.”

Rick DuFour, 2002

What is a Professional Learning Community?

We can make a difference: Our schools can be more effective.

Improving our people is the key to improving our school.

Significant school improvement will impact teaching and learning.PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators. -DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, (2006)

Fundamental Assumptions

Professional development should be intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice.

Professional development should build strong working relationships among educators.

Sustained and intensive professional development for educators is related to student achievement gains.

Collaborative approaches to professional learning can promote school change that extends beyond individual classrooms.

Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the U.S. and Abroad (NSDC)

Key Findings from the Research

The Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools

WestEd National Staff Development Council National Commission on Teaching and

America’s Future

PLC Supporting Research Studies were Conducted by the Following Organizations

Dedicate & Share Resources Acquire, Analyze, and Utilize Data Take Risks Continuous Support Meaningful Communication and Reflection Cultivate Leadership

“One should never impose one’s views on a problem; one should rather study it, and in time a solution will reveal itself.” – Albert Einstein

Purpose and Function of a PLC

…in a Professional Learning Community, “learning” rather than “teaching” is the fundamental purpose of your school/organization.

The ONE Thing

Focus on Learning◦ We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our

organization and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning.

Collaboration◦ We are committed to working together to achieve our

collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through development of high-performing teams.

Focus on Results◦ We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather

than intentions. Individuals, teams, and schools seek relevant data and information and use that information to provide continuous improvement.

Three Big Ideas of PLCs

What are the essential outcomes that we expect students to learn?

What assessment will we use to determine if the students have learned?

How will we intervene when students do not learn or learn more than anticipated?

Essential Questions of PLCs

Shared Mission, Vision, Values, Goals Collaborative Culture Collective Inquiry Action Orientation / Experimentation Commitment to Continuous Improvement Results Orientation

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Six Characteristics of a Professional Learning Community

What distinguishes a learning community from an ordinary school/organization is its collective commitment to guiding principles that articulate what the staff of the school believes and that govern their actions and behaviors.

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Shared Mission, Vision, Values, Goals

…is the district/school/organization’s core ideology.

“The core ideology clarifies what doesn’t change for an organization in an environment of rapid and unpredictable change.”

Built to Last (1997)

Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals…

Educational Excellence today for tomorrow by:◦ Accentuating Rigor◦ Building Relationships◦ Creating Relevance

◦The ABCs of the 3 R’s

WSD Mission Statement

We strive to:◦ Create a fiscally attentive, collaborative, enriching, and

respectful learning environment where students are challenged in a rigorous standards-based curriculum utilizing technology and data-driven instruction. Collaboration in order to share expertise and improve upon

our educational portfolio Data-driven in order to understand our strengths and

adjust our weaknesses Standards-based in order to guarantee that our curriculum

is aligned to national, state, and local standards of achievement

Rigorous in our approach to teaching and learning in order to insure success for all learners.

WSD Vision

Improve upon and expand Wilson’s portfolio to advance student success

Increase organizational agility and capacity for all students and employees

Grow Wilson regionally and nationally as a result of staff and student success

Artfully develop and use infrastructure for all stakeholders

Create a flatter organizational structure for stakeholder collaboration and relationship building

Control for fiscal accountability throughout the District

WSD Vision Planks

Professionals in a learning community work in teams that share a common purpose. They learn from each other and create the momentum that drives improvement. They build with the organization the structure and vehicles that make collaborative work and learning effective and productive.

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Collaborative Culture

Collaborative teams are the engine of a Professional Learning Community. Professionals in a learning community work on interdependent teams that share a common purpose. They learn from each other and create the momentum that drives improvement.

Collaborative Culture

A systematic process in which we work together, interdependently, to analyze and impact professional practice in order to improve our individual and collective results.

DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker (2002)

What Is Collaboration?

Collaboration Activity:Temperament Survey

People in a learning community relentlessly question the status quo, seek new methods of teaching and learning, test the methods, and then reflect on the results.

They reflect publicly on their beliefs and challenge each other’s beliefs.

They share insights and hammer out common meanings. They work jointly to plan and test actions and initiatives. They coordinate their actions, so that the work of each

individual contributes to the common effort.

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Collective Inquiry

Members of professional learning communities constantly turn their learning and insights into action. They recognize the importance of engagement and experience in learning and in testing new ideas.

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Action Orientation / Experimentation

Members of a learning organization are not content with the status quo and continually seek ways to bring present reality closer to future ideal. They constantly ask themselves and each other:

What is our purpose? What do we hope to achieve? What are our strategies for improving? How will we assess our efforts?

Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Members of a learning organization are not content with the status quo and continually seek ways to bring present reality closer to future ideal. They constantly ask themselves and each other:What is our purpose?(Take a few minutes to discuss in your groups and begin to collect ideas to this first question.)

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Professionals in a learning organization recognize that no matter how well- intentioned the efforts, the only valid judgment of improvement is observable and measurable results. Assessment and re-evaluation are the key to continued improvement.

◦ Adapted from Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker (1998), Professional Learning Communities at Work

Results Orientation

Divide into groups by going to the number on the wall that aligns to your assigned number

Choose a leader, a recorder, and a facilitator

Read the assigned article independently Discuss in group the key concepts from

article List on chart paper Whole group share out – begin with a brief

summary of the article

4 Corner Article Activity

Keys to Successful PLC!

Staff/Teachers Administrators and Supervisors

Be Committed Be Engaged Be Trusting Be Open Take Risks Think Outside the Box! Genuine

communications!

Be Committed Be Engaged Be Trusting Be Open Take Risks Think Outside the Box! Genuine

communications! EMPOWER the staff! Provide Support! TIME!

Involve teacher leaders Consider leading and participating in a book

study Make your work relevant and purposeful.

Relate it to existing data. Pay attention to the pitfalls

◦ Lack of understanding◦ Lack of confidence ◦ Lack of time

Getting Started!

www.allthingsplc.info Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become

Professional Learning Communities, Robert Eaker, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour

Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement, Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker

on common ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities, DuFour and others

Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, NSDC Finding Time for Professional Learning, NSDC

Resources

“Coming together is a beginning;keeping together is progress; and working together is success.”

Henry Ford

Final Thoughts!